“I’m Dave,” he said with his hand extended. “I saw you in here talking to Jackie.”
I shook Dave’s outstretched hand while I looked toward Jackie’s regular table. He was already there talking to, of all people, Drake. I suppressed a shudder. For Skip’s sake, I said, “Drake’s here, I see.”
Dave cast a sideways glance at the two men in the back of the bar and muttered, “Yeah.”
“I have business with Jackie. Why don’t you two catch up?”
Lily swallowed hard and let her attention flick to Jackie’s table. “Be careful,” she whispered.
Dave licked his lips and eyed me. “If I wasn’t in business with that guy, I’d sleep a lot better at night.” He cocked his head toward the bar and winked. “Come on, kid, I’ve got something special with your name on it.”
They’d gone only a few steps when one of the waitresses came out from the back, saw Lily, and hurried forward. They exchanged hugs and chatted as Lily hopped up on her favorite barstool. The waitress glanced at me, excused herself, and came forward.
“Lily’s such a good kid,” she said. “I’m so glad she’s happy again. She had some dark times after her mom died.”
“We’re working through it.” I smiled at her and added, “I love her like she was my own.”
“I’m happy for you both,” she said. “Can I get you something?”
“No thanks. I need to talk to Jackie. If you’ll excuse me.”
The waitress nodded and continued where Dave had left off, taking the chairs from the tops of the tables. Two men walked in, waved at her, and made their way to the opposite end of the bar from where Lily sat. So far, the conversation between Jackie and Drake had been so intense they hadn’t even noticed me. That didn’t make them any less intimidating. “Skip? You there?”
“Out in the car. Thirty seconds away.”
“I’m heading back to see Jackie.”
“You want me to come in?”
“No. Lily’s with Dave. I don’t think Jackie or Drake would dare pull anything.”
“You’re probably right. It sounds like Dave’s caught in a bad situation. Do you suppose he’s really a good guy?”
“Who just happens to have the wrong business partner? There has to be more to the story. To be safe, I’ll send Drake out front so you can keep an eye on him.”
“You got it.”
Each step took tremendous effort, but the deeper I walked into the bar, the more alive I felt. I’d never thought of myself as that kind of person, but maybe I wasn’t happy unless I was living on life’s razor’s edge.
“You’re doing great,” Skip said.
I kept my mouth shut. The less Jackie knew about what we were doing, the better. It felt good to be taking control of life again. I was no longer running from a crisis, but back in fighter mode. When I was about ten feet from the table, Jackie must have noticed my movement. He glanced at me and fixed me with a stare as cold as a winter’s day. Drake turned, saw me, and made a move to rise.
I held out my hand and motioned for Drake to stay seated. “Easy, Drake. You have witnesses.”
Jackie glanced around, nodded to himself, and gritted his teeth. “You got a lot of guts, Angel. Walking in here, just you and the kid.”
“That’s why I’m here. You and I are going to come to an agreement.”
“Leave us alone,” Jackie grumbled.
Drake stood and let out an exaggerated sigh. “I’ll be in back.”
“No.” My voice was calm and strong as I spoke. “You’re going out front. On the street. Stand there like a bouncer, or I guarantee the cops will be all over this place in two minutes.”
Jackie glared at me. “What do you have, Angel? Somebody watching this place?”
I bore down on his gaze with mine. “You’re running out of time.”
With another tilt of his head, Jackie gestured toward the front door. Drake took two steps and shifted his weight in my direction. I sidestepped, causing him to miss.
“Down boy.” I held his gaze. “You should see a doctor about that balance problem of yours.”
“Do what the lady says,” Jackie snapped.
Drake gave me a final black look before he stalked outside and stood glaring into the bar from the sidewalk. I checked on Lily. She had a colorful umbrella drink in her hand and watched as Dave flicked the screen of his phone periodically—it was obviously time to show off family photos.
“What do you want, Angel?” Jackie indicated I should take the chair Drake had vacated.
“I’ll stand.” Rusty as I was, as long as I was standing, I could still put up a fight if Jackie or another one of his guys tried to start something. “I don’t want much, just your agreement to leave me and Lily alone. Permanently.”
“I got no idea what you’re talking about,” he said with a smirk.
“I can read you like a comic book, Jackie. Don’t even try to BS me. Lily knows you’re not her friend—that you never were. She also realizes you were grooming her to become one of your girls. She’s only fourteen, but she’s far from stupid, so she understands exactly what was coming.”
“I didn’t have no designs on her.”
“That’s a load of crap. I’m guessing you planned to make your move the last time she ran away, but I showed up and ruined your plan. You will leave her alone, or I will bury you.”
The smirk returned, and Jackie leaned back in his chair. “You? What are you gonna do? Shoot me? You won’t make it out the front door alive.”
“I don’t have to kill you. Lily’s already made sure the cops will put you away for a long time. She’s got recordings of you giving instructions to your guys right here at this table.”
Jackie’s eyes narrowed, and he shifted in his chair. “What do you mean, recordings?”
“It appears you were a little careless at times. Lily, being a precocious kid with a recording device at her disposal, occasionally recorded your conversations.”
“She can’t do that!”
I dismissed his protest with a flip of my hand. “Can and did. The recordings are a record of what she overheard. Plus, she has details about your drug business. She’s actually quite thorough.” I gave him a few of the details for effect. When I’d finished, I heard Baldorf in my ear.
“Tell him to look at the TVs. It’s show time!”
I frowned and turned toward the bar. There were three big screen TVs hanging from the ceiling. All three displayed the same still image—Jackie on his cell phone while sitting at his table talking to Drake. Lily, Dave, and the waitress were letting their attention hopscotch between the TVs and Jackie. I pointed at the nearest screen.
Jackie turned, took one look at the image, and scowled at me. “Dave! Change the station.”
Dave seized the remote control and pressed a button, then another. After a few seconds, he looked straight at Jackie. “I can’t. It’s not responding.”
“What the hell?” Jackie exploded. He stood, stormed over to the bar, and seized the remote from Dave’s hands. He punched the buttons frantically, but the image didn’t change, and while he focused on the remote, I inserted myself between him and Lily.
Another waitress came out of the back room and stared at the image on the screen. “What’s going on with the TVs?”
I whispered, “Nice, Baldorf. Very nice.” I gave Lily a quick glance and a wink.
“Awesome,” she whispered.
“Thanks kid,” Baldorf said.
“Just a little technical glitch,” I said.
The waitress grimaced and started toward the entrance. As she passed me, she muttered, “There go my tips for the day.”
Jackie glared at Dave. “You think you can double-cross me? I’m tired of your small-time antics.”
Dave backed away and shook his head. “It wasn’t me, Jackie. I swear. I have no idea what this is all about.”
“It wasn’t him,” I said.
Jackie tossed the remote back on the bar and turned on me. “Who are y
ou? What the hell kind of game are you playing?”
At the other end of the bar, the two men who had come in earlier stopped their conversation and were now watching the nearest TV. One of them frowned as he pointed in our direction.
“Hey Dave, what’s going on?” he called.
“We had a little mixup with the TVs, that’s all.” Dave peered at me and whispered, “I gotta have those TVs back, lady. Lunch crowd starts soon.”
In my ear, I heard Baldorf snicker. “Give the remote to the kid. Got one more little surprise for these dudes.”
Jackie glared at him. “Figure this thing out. Pull the plug if you have to.”
“Are you crazy? We need those sets up and running.” Dave took the remote from Jackie’s hands. “I don‘t know what’s going on, man, but if I were you, I’d listen to the lady.” He glanced at Lily, me, then the front door. “Come on, lady, there’s more people coming.”
“Maybe Lily can fix this.” I picked up the remote and handed it to her. “You know what they say about kids and technology.”
“Roger that.”
Lily beamed at me. “I got this.” She scrutinized the array of buttons, screwed up her face, and pursed her lips. “I’m totally sure it’s this one.” She pressed, and the screen image disappeared. The game that had been on when we walked in returned to the screen. I suppressed a smile while Jackie and Dave stared at her.
“Awesome,” Lily said as she handed the remote back to Dave.
He shook his head, whispered a quick thank you, and left to deal with the new arrivals.
Jackie faced me and hissed, “Nobody messes with me, Angel.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Jackie. Nobody messes with her.” I pointed at Lily. “Or me. Or anybody else in my life. If something bad happens to any of them, I’m looking to you first. And if that happens, those TVs are only the beginning.”
“I want those recordings destroyed.”
“That’s not going to happen. Those are our insurance policy and with a guy like you, we need all the insurance we can get. The deal is simple. And if you accept it, painless. We declare a truce. No winners, no losers, we all walk away and never see each other again.”
For the first time since I’d met Jackie Fontanal, he appeared undecided. His attention flitted from me to the TVs to Lily.
“Well?” I demanded. “Are we in agreement, or do I need to take this further?”
“What are you? CIA or something?”
“Who I work for is not your concern. The only thing you should care about is answering my question. Do we have a deal? Or not?”
CHAPTER FIFTY-EIGHT
Skip
SKIP SAT IN his car a block from Bruno Panaman’s home and watched as the drone rose vertically under Baldorf’s control. He couldn’t believe he was back here, preparing to retrieve a tiny piece of technology from the house. If he didn’t feel such a sense of obligation to protect Baldorf’s safety and anonymity, he never would have considered a return trip.
“Are you saying the bug in the kitchen is dead?” Skip asked.
“No dude, only the battery. But to be sure we completely cover our tracks, we have to extract it.”
“I could walk in and ask if I can take back the bug we used to spy on him.”
“Seriously, bro? You’re gonna go all sarcastic on me?”
“Sorry. It’s just that I’m the one out here in the field who’s got his neck out. That’s not fair either because if that bug is discovered it could put you in danger.”
“No worries, dude. I recognize the high-stress nature of your endeavor.” A moment later, he continued. “Drone is over the target. Releasing MD-1.”
Skip got out of the car and walked toward the house. “Are you sure this is going to work?”
“Totally. Well, mostly.”
“I’d prefer the former.”
“As you know, nothing’s a hundred percent, but human curiosity ranks high on the vulnerability scale and raccoon sounds coming from the acoustic tunnel should trigger a programmed response.”
“What in the world are you talking about, Baldorf?”
“The drone is directly above the chimney and will broadcast a recording of a mother raccoon and her babies. Human curiosity is a programmed response, ergo, it should totally get their attention. MD-1 has successfully navigated the flue and is on course for the kitchen. If the room is empty, we’re good to go.”
Skip stopped in front of the house next to Bruno’s. The MD-1 was inside. Watching. Unobserved. Feeding him intelligence. He was eying the drone hovering over the chimney when Baldorf’s voice broke into his thoughts.
“Kitchen is clear. Mission is a go. I repeat, mission is a go. Advise when you are in place and ready to proceed.”
“Calm down, buddy. This is just a simple in-and-out.”
“That’s what you thought about last night, dude. It appears you have a propensity for underestimation of negative responses.”
“When this is over, I’m thinking of settling down, buying a little house, and raising a passel of kids.”
“Sounds awesome, dude. You going in, or not?”
“I’m going.” Skip’s heart pounded in his chest. He took a last look around. “I’m on my way.”
Skip hurried into Bruno’s side yard, climbed over the decorative wall, taking advantage of the cover provided by the large bushes between him and the nearest window. He stayed low as he ran the length of the house. At the back corner, he stopped to steady his breathing and heart rate. From his experience the other night, he knew the slider was right around this corner. Hopefully, Bruno hadn’t locked the glass door.
Skip pulled out the Sig and held it in his right hand. “I’m in place. Start your raccoon sounds.”
“Sounds on.” A few seconds later, Baldorf said, “Ewww.”
“What’s that mean?”
“You’re clear dude. I’m looking at three rear ends, and one of them needs a better tailor.”
Skip shook his head. “Since you like acronyms so much, Baldorf, I’ve got one for you. TMI.”
“You are totally correct, dude,” Baldorf snickered. “You do not want to see this. Go. You’re clear.”
Skip slipped around the corner. The glass slider stood wide open, and although the screen door was closed, it was unlocked. “Sometimes this is way too easy,” he said as he slipped inside and scanned the kitchen. From the living room, he heard the voices of three men. “Where’s the MD-1?” he whispered.
“I’ll park on the countertop next to the slider.”
Skip crept across the room to the refrigerator. He slid the Sig back in its holster, pulled out his knife, and pried the adhesive loose from the bottom of the bug. With a quick movement, he deposited the tiny device in his pocket and returned to the counter for the MD-1, but it was missing.
“Baldorf,” Skip hissed. “The mosquito’s not where you said it would be. What happened?”
“It’s on your shoulder, bro. I’m attached. All you gotta do is walk out the door.”
Skip retraced his steps to the street, deliberately acting nonchalant on the way to his car. On the way, he exchanged congratulations with Baldorf. After that, he asked, “What was that little trick with the MD-1?”
“It had some juice left, and I didn’t want you to forget it.”
“Liar. You know I wouldn’t have forgotten, I think you were playing a little Baldorf game.”
“Dude! I’m offended, but it was fun.”
“I thought so. Okay, I’m back at the car. What happened to the drone?”
“Doing a final recon on the house. All’s cool in Panaman Land. Eye in the sky on approach.”
Skip looked skyward. A gray dot flew his way. After only a few seconds, it was directly overhead and began its descent. When the drone landed behind the car, Skip stored it in its dock. “You know what, Baldorf? I think I’m actually going to miss all these toys.”
“You don’t get out of your obligations that easy, dude. We’re still
partners in this business.”
Skip started the car and pulled out onto the street. At the corner, he turned right. As he drove, he said, “I might just take you up on that. Give Roxy the all clear to make her call and let me know what happens.”
“Sit tight.”
When Baldorf returned, he said, “Good to go. Papa Panaman took the bait. He’s on his way to the Oceanside Library.”
“Good. I’ll definitely be there before him.”
The drive took longer than expected due to atrocious traffic conditions, but Skip was confident Bruno and his henchmen were caught in the same conditions. He found a place to park, then again took out the drone and watched it rise into the sky. He closed the trunk, locked the car, and raced the three blocks to the library. The white exterior and the plaza fronting to the entrance made everything feel clean and safe, but that was only an illusion as far as he was concerned.
“Where’s the drone?” Skip asked.
“Found a nice perch on top of the building. Take a load off, dude, got the Big Brother thing going on.”
“I can’t relax. I’ve got too much pent-up anxiety. It might help if I walk around for a while. Are Roxy and Lily inside?”
“Roger that. You want me to patch them in? Been keeping the channels separate, but they’ve been asking about you. Let’s have a party.” A moment later, Baldorf continued. “Listen up. Everybody’s live.”
“Skip? How’d it go with Bruno?” Roxy asked.
They spent the next few minutes all talking about their respective parts in the plan, but were soon interrupted by Baldorf.
“Heads up, Skip-man, Papa Panaman and two goons on final approach.”
“I told him to come alone,” Roxy said. “But it doesn’t surprise me he’d bring some support.”
Skip easily spotted the three men entering the plaza. They walked three abreast, Bruno in the middle, the other two flanking him. Their manner, their dress—everything about them stuck out. Skip walked to his left, where he could watch from behind a stand of palms.
“Baldorf, did you run any kind of facial scan on these guys? If they’re hired muscle, they may have records.”
“Did it while you were driving, dude. The tall one has an outstanding warrant; the other dude is on parole.”
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